We rarely drive our car to the airport. We just don’t like the hastle and the breakeven cost of taking a car service is after a few days given parking costs. But we recently drove ourselves to the airport and upon our return, it turned into a disasterous decision.
Recently, Mrs. Weekly Flyer, Baby Weekly Flyer and I flew home into Atlanta and found that our car battery was dead. When we got to the car we realized that we had left a light on in the car for three days and our car wouldn’t start. This was a little stressful because we had all our luggage, the baby and it was super hot outside that day!
Here’s What We Learned
Our first instinct was to call AAA roadside assistance which was complicated because you are trying to direct them to a needle in a hay stack. Trying to discribe which parking lot, which row, which spot; let’s just say we were not confident that they would arrive anytime soon. It was so hot, that we decided to go back into the terminal for air conditioning.
Mrs. Weekly Flyer had a good idea to flag down a police officer to ask for help. It turned out that he was able to radio to the battery jump team and send help to us within ten minutes.
Here Are The Steps
1.) When you get to your car and find that the battery is dead, note the lot, row and spot so that you can tell them where to go
2.) If you don’t have jumper cables, look for a police man or ask an attendant to radio to the battery jumping team
Bottom Line
Apparently, it is quite common at the airport that people need a jump start. Don’t panic and ask a police man for help. They will send you someone who can jump your car in no time!
Has this ever happend to any of you? How did you get out of the situation?
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The Weekly Flyer writes about travel from a business traveler perspective. He travels the world every week accumulating points and miles along the way.
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This happened to me years ago at an offsite parking lot at BWI. I was thinking of calling AAA, but the attendants there had jumper cables and were able to get me on my way in just a few minutes.
The parking staff can also help with lockouts.
This is the main reason I park offsite. Sadly, I can’t even count the number of times the kind folks at WallyPark have had to break out the jump kit for me.
Happened a number of times to me. Parking at CLT is quite cheap ($8/day for the daily lots) so the cost breakeven point can be quite a while so I pretty much always drive to the airport (plus I hate giving up control and being at the mercy of whether or not someone else shows up on time).
You don’t really have to flag down a police officer (though they’ll certainly work). The couple times its happened to me I stepped back into the landside of the airport and most have an information desk of some sort that can usually handle making the call for you.
I always park off airport. The main reason is when I get home the shuttle bus driver helps me clean snow off my car and makes sure the car starts before he moves on. I normally travel winter months only. So this is helpful to me. Trust me you don’t want to be freezing waiting for the jump people to come when its 10 below zero. Been there done that and don’t intend on doing it again.
What happens if you can only find a police woman? Does this still work? Or just when asking a police man?
@Tracy T. – same thing happened to me at BWI. The private lots almost all have portable jumper units.
Took a business trip to London and left my car at SFO. I woke up to strange emails, and links to my local news. Seems my car was one of 7 destroyed in a lot fire.
Lets just say they waived the parking fees.
Same happened to me last year at PDX on-site long term parking. I parked close enough to the exit that I just walked over to the attendant booth. I’m sure if I was further out I could have flagged down one of the shuttle buses or picked up an emergency call phone at one of the bus stop pavilions. Before I knew it a truck rolled out and followed me to my car. Whole process took 10-25 minutes. Then I replaced my battery. 🙂 It had been stressed by kids leaving the dome lights on too many times!
This has happened to me at SAV. But the airport parking operators have a golf cart with jumper cables and battery, they said that it happens all the time which is why they have this set-up. I’m surprises that most airports don’t have the same thing.
When I lived in Ft. Lauderdale I used to use Park & Fly as opposed to the giant airport run off-site lots. Everything about it was more efficient including the jump squad. I almost always go with the privately owned off-site lots…Well now that I’m in NYC I just get on the train but that’s how I USED to do it.
Happened to me once in a mall…their security team also has battery jump help.
Several years ago, my dad gave me a super duper set of jumper cables. They stay in the trunk, of course. I have had to ask passersby for help before, but, having your own set sure helps out. He also gave me his super duper tool box to keep them. He’s just too cool!
Louisville International Airport does not provide this service. We got in at 2:00am and found our car battery dead and 31 degrees! Went and called the airport help desk they said they do not provide this service. Basically said Your out of luck!
Yes this has happened to me also. They arrive rather quickly and immediately hand you a waiver to sign after signing the attendant proceeded to jump my car an alarm started blaring from my car. He would take cables off and alarm would stop. I had no idea why this was happening until my friend looked at the cables and told the attendant he had them reversed. Needless to say I had to have my car towed to my mechanic. It now had a blown alternator blown fuses radio, lights didn’t work. Hundreds of dollars later it’s repaired now.